August 24, 2016
Indiana

Hearing to tackle wind amendment

By THE NEWS-EXAMINER, Wednesday, August 24, 2016, www.newsexaminer.com

GLENWOOD – The Glenwood Town Council will soon have its say on whether or not it approves of a proposed amendment made earlier this summer which would prohibit commercial wind turbines in Rush County.

The Glenwood Town Council is holding a public hearing Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. at the Glenwood Town Hall to consider the proposed amendment, which was forwarded with a favorable recommendation last month by the Rush County Area Plan Commission to the county’s legislative bodies for ratification.

The amendment would not only change the definitions of Wind Energy Conversion Systems in the Rush County Zoning Ordinance, it would also change the ordinance to prohibit commercial wind energy systems.

The change would be primarily regarding Section 6.4.7.2.2 of the county’s zoning ordinance, with the propose language stating the following:

“Generation Capacity: Any turbine or any WECS incorporating any turbine with a nameplate rating of greater than 50kW, i.e. “Commercial WECS” as defined herein, or any analogous wind energy to electrical energy conversion system with any turbine with a nameplate rating of 50kW or greater, are expressly prohibited in all zoning districts,” the proposed amendment reads. “This provision shall supersede any and all provisions to the contrary that all Commercial WECS or any analogous wind energy to electrical energy conversion system, regardless of nomenclature, as a special exception or otherwise in any section of the Rush County Zoning Ordinance or in any zoning district hereunder.”

The proposed amendment also would tweak some of the definitions regarding WECS, such as what commercial WECS, a “Micro-WECS” and “Meteorological Towers WECS” are.

The hearing in Glenwood is just one of several which must take place, among the legislative bodies in Rush County, before the proposed amendments are finally approved for the zoning ordinance. The Glenwood Town Board will vote whether to adopt or reject the proposed amendment.

The hearing is open to the public.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2016/08/24/hearing-to-tackle-wind-amendment/